No More Words
by Xhanthia
Summary: It's hard finding the right words to say what you mean, a skill Naru has never mastered. Will he learn to voice his true thoughts in time? MaiXNaru
1. Chapter 1

"Mai, te-." Kazuya Shibuya glanced up as his assistant placed a porcelain teacup on his desk, and hurried off without a word. He managed to catch the dazed look she had on her face before she walked out the door and to her desk, where she usually did all her filing. He allowed himself to wonder for a moment what might be wrong with her before telling himself that it was none of his business and going about with his reading. He allowed his mind to wander as he read, thinking about everything that had happened in the previous months.

He'd gained an assistant by chance, and had chosen to have her stick around, though not because she was a good little worker drone, which she wasn't. She had the ability to bring out the best in people, without even realizing it, and she was a fast learner. SPR now had an entire team of people dedicated to ghost hunting, and that had also happened by chance. Something that he could never quite figure out, though, is when exactly Mai and the rest stopped being his employees and became his friends.

That particular mystery had no solution.

He took a sip from his Black Currant tea and looked up briefly as Mai entered the room again, this time a bit more alert and much more composed, he noted. They stared at each other for a few seconds, Naru clearly growing impatient, before she spoke.

"My great-aunt just called."

Any normal person would've sputtered in their tea had they heard this, since everyone knew that Mai had no family whatsoever. Naru, however, was clearly no normal person, and so he merely arched an eyebrow and put down his cup.

"How did she know where to contact you?" he asked.

"She called the orphanage and they told her the school I was attending. She spoke with Kirei-sensei who told them where I worked." she replied, and then was quiet for a few moments. Naru really didn't feel like playing 20 questions today, so he got right to the point.

"And the reason that you saw fit to inform me of this is…?"

At this, Mai muttered something inaudible, but at Naru's sharp impatient gaze, she repeated it at a more normal voice level.

"She wants me to come spend two weeks with her and her daughter at Chiba. She asked me to come live with her."

And today was off to a terrific start.

"Well, you know what this means, Mai." said Houshou Takigawa, whom Mai had affectionately nicknamed "Bou-san" (Mr. Monk), a few hours later. She had just told everyone the news, and even Lin looked decently put off to hear that Mai might be leaving them. "We're going to have to come and stay with you and make sure that this family isn't psycho."

Mai could've laughed, this was just so...Bou-san-like. Always looking out for the little people.

"It's really okay, Bou-san, I'm sure they're very nice people. She sounded like a nice lady on the phone, and her daughter is my age. Besides, I haven't given her an answer yet, so I might not be moving after all." she replied with a smile, though honestly wishing that she could find a polite way to turn down her great-aunt's offer. The woman, though she claimed she was family, was practically a stranger, and besides, SPR had become her family over the past few months. Ayako, the self- proclaimed shinto miko wagged her finger at Mai.

"You know, for once, Bou-san had a good idea. We SHOULD go see whether these people are capable enough to handle our Mai." she agreed, causing Mai to twitch.

"Capable enough?" John Brown, the Australian priest, agreed as well, and even Masako nodded, slightly pleased that her rival for Naru's affections might be leaving, though also disappointed for the same reason. She and the girl had developed a strange love-hate relationship, and though they claimed that they never got along, they still looked out for each other when times got rough. Mai had even gone so far as to put herself in danger to save her once, something that the teenage psychic would never forget. Lin turned back to his keyboard, wondering how Naru was taking the news of Mai's departure. He was fully aware that a bond had developed between the two teenagers, though Naru would probably never admit it to himself, much less anyone else.

"I've told you people that this place is not a coffee shop. Either find something useful to do, or get out." came Naru's irritated voice as he stepped out of his office and took a look around at "the usual suspects", as Mai sometimes referred to the group.

"Ah, Naru-chan, just the man we needed to see." said the monk. "Will you be coming with us to stay with Mai and make sure that she'll be safe and sound in her new home?" he asked, ruffling the girl's hair affectionately. Mai had to admit that while they were reluctant to see her leave, they still wished her the best and wanted to make sure that she was well cared-for. This gesture of kindness nearly made her tear up, and she looked down as she blinked. These people really were her family.

"There's work to do, I don't have time for that." Naru replied with annoyance, though annoyed at what, he couldn't very well say. "I'm sure you can all handle it." He turned to walk back into his office, and Mai bit her lip, slightly pissed. 'Jerk, even down to the last moment.' she silently berated him. Then again, she should've seen it coming. It wasn't really like Naru to take a few days off just to do something that didn't involve ghost hunting. Still...it would've been nice.

"She might be leaving forever, and you're not even going to go and say good- bye?" said Ayako, thoroughly angered. Could this man be any more thick-headed? Naru turned around for a moment to look at Mai, and even an idiot could've caught the look of hope she was giving him. He sighed, figuring that if anything, he owed her this much.

Besides, he could still conduct research from anywhere, that was the beauty of satelite internet.

"Fine." he replied, and walked into his office, shutting the door behind him. Hard as she try, Mai couldn't keep a small grin from making its way to her face. Maybe not a complete jerk.


	2. Chapter 2

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Bou-san emitted a low whistle as they walked up the gravel path to the front door of what could very well become Mai's new home. "Damn, girly, you didn't tell me these people were loaded."

Mai blew a whisp of hair away from her face, struggling to hold her suitcase, which she had accidentally over-packed. "They're not. According to Shizumasa-san, this house was sold to them dirt-cheap." She said as she glanced around. The 120-year old mansion looked exactly its age, with washed-out white paint, peeling walls, and cracked windows. It was located at the top of a cliff, overlooking a beach, and she could see the Pacific Ocean from where she was standing. She shuddered slightly, realizing that this house could pass off as a stereo-typical haunted mansion, something which she wasn't too happy to note.

"So are you going to stand there staring at the house, or are you going to knock?" drawled Ayako, walking up behind the rest of them. Naru was standing off to the side with Lin, taking in the house's surroundings, and keeping a careful eye on Masako, who seemed to be looking around slightly suspicious. Mai rang the doorbell, and she could hear it echoing throughout the house. A woman in her mid-40's opened the door, wearing a smile that would shame a clown.

"Mai-chan! I'm so glad to see you're finally here! Oh, and these must be your friends! Come in, come in!" she ushered them enthusiastically, and Mai could already tell that the next two weeks were going to be something out of a comedy movie.

She was half-right.

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Mai's great-aunt, Keiko Shizumasa, was from her mother's side of the family, thrice removed. She had only recently found out that she had a niece, and thus had proceeded to hunt her down. Thankfully, she merely showed everyone to their rooms and left the pestering and question-asking for later, after they had all been settled in. Their rooms were located on the third floor, and resembled hotel rooms in a way. The house was big enough that everyone could have their own rooms, something which that the women appreciated immensely.

Mai looked around her room – that sounded strange to her…HER room – and began to unpack, taking out her shirts and opening a drawer to place them in. For a second, something red and glittering caught her eye, but when she looked again, the drawer was empty, as it had always been. While she was learning that it was never a good idea to brush off instances such as these, she decided that it had probably been her imagination, and finished unpacking. Once she was finished, she opened the French-doors to the balcony and stepped out into the warm sea breeze. She looked down, over the edge of the balcony and was suddenly struck with vertigo. The balcony was suspended directly over the cliff, and if she wasn't careful, she could fall over the edge. 'What a horrible way to go.' She thought, walking back inside and leaving her room to go see how the others were settling in. She saw Takigawa, Ayako, Masako, and John had already left their rooms and seemed to be headed for Naru's room. She stopped at the doorway, looking in, and saw him talking seriously to Masako, who had a perplexed look on her face.

"Something wrong, Naru?" she asked, fighting back a wave of jealousy that always threatened to overcome her whenever Naru and Masako were within ten feet of each other.

"Masako senses a spirit in the house." He replied, nodding at Lin to start setting up base. Mai groaned inwardly. 'I shouldn't have jinxed it.'

"It's not a vengeful spirit…" supplied Masako, glancing around, "though it seems to be searching for something."

"Mai, set up the infrared cameras in every room on the third floor and take the temperatures of all the rooms in the house." ordered Naru, causing Mai to make a face at him when he had turned his back. Masako giggled against her will as Mai grabbed the equipment she needed and headed out to begin her task.

So much for a short vacation.

When Mai returned with the temperature readings, she found the others spread out in Naru's room.

"I'm positive it's an earth spirit." Piped Ayako, causing the others to snicker.

"Because it's _always_ an earth spirit, right Mai?" scoffed Bou-san, looking up at the girl from his seat on the floor. She grinned, walking to Naru and handing him the readings, which he proceeded to examine.

"The third room down the corridor, Mai's room, has a low temperature, but not low enough to be unusual." He stated mildly. "Everything else looks fine, but we'll continue to keep an eye on things." There was a moment of silence while everyone realized that Naru hadn't issued out any new orders, and in fact, didn't seem all that interested in getting too in depth with the ghost hunting, meaning they were home-free for the time being. Takigawa stood up and stretched, making a bee-line for the door.  
"Well, if that's it, then I'm off to the beach. The water looks awfully inviting, and it's rather hot today." he said, winking at the others to follow suit. Everyone agreed that it seemed like a good idea, and headed to their rooms to change. Mai, the last to leave, looked back to where Naru was sitting, typing away on his keyboard.

"Are you coming?" she asked, though she knew exactly what his answer would be.

Silence.

In Kazuya Shibuya's book, stupid questions merit no response.


	3. Chapter 3

Whoohoo, chapter three! Please let me know if I'm not putting enough Mai-Naru interaction in here since I'm afraid that I might go overboard and overfluff it. ; The last thing I want is to screw up Naru's personality. Anyways, you know the drill, Read, and if you like, Review.

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Mai had changed into her modest one-piece bathing suit and was about to exit out the back door through the kitchen when she heard someone walk in. Turning around, she saw that it was a girl about her age with long, straight black hair and big brown eyes. They looked at each other for a moment before it clicked.

"Oh, you must be Mai-san!" she said, bowing respectfully.

"Kisa-san! Nice to finally meet you. Your house is beautiful." Mai replied, bowing as well. Kisa smiled.

"This old thing? Mother loved how…antiqued…it was, and couldn't help herself. It does seem like it holds a lot of history, though, doesn't it? Are you going swimming?" Mai nodded, throwing her towel over her shoulder.

"Yes, we all figured we might as well relax a bit before Na-Shibuya-san becomes a slave-driver again." She replied, and Kisa laughed.

"Introduce me to the others later, will you? Mother asked me to accompany her to the store downtown. Please, make yourselves at home." She said, before walking out of the kitchen.

'Way ahead of you.' Thought Mai, exiting out the back door.

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Naru leaned back in his chair, gazing at the computer screen absentmindedly. So this was Mai's prospective new home. Built in the late 1900's, sturdy architecture, Gothic, though it needed some renovating. He really wasn't surprised that they had encountered a ghost in this place, it almost screamed "I'm Haunted, Ask Me How!" While he wasn't interested in the ghost itself, he knew that the best thing to do would be to exorcise it before its nature took a turn for the worst. He wondered whether Mai liked the house, and the family.

He abruptly decided to recheck the monitors more carefully, not liking where his thoughts were taking him. After about a half hour of absolutely no activity, and nobody but Lin for company, Naru did something completely unlike him, and actually set off to look in on the others. A small part of him accused him of looking for distractions to keep his mind out of places that would only trouble him, but he firmly squished that part down, making his way out of the house and down to the beach. Something made him look back at the house, his eyes drifting up towards the balcony of Mai's room. His eyes widened at what he saw.

A girl, she looked young, wearing a Victorian dress seemed to be clutching at something on her throat. She was walking backwards towards the rail, trying to keep what seemed like a shadow at arm's length. Suddenly she plunged backwards as if she had been pushed, and Naru blinked.

She was gone.

'Looks like this might be a bit more serious than I thought.' Forgetting his plan of going to see the others, he headed back into the house, determined to take a look around Mai's room personally, and perhaps dig up some records on the house's previous owners.

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Mai took a shower and sprawled out on her bed, reminiscing about the afternoon. The water had been crystalline, and she and her friends had enjoyed themselves immensely splashing around and just plain relaxing. She honestly did not want to live in this house, but because she was still a minor and a ward of the state, the law decreed that if a guardian relative was available, she HAD to live with them. 'Too bad my 18th birthday isn't until next year.' She mused. Suddenly she found herself surrounded by darkness, though there seemed to be a light coming from a source she couldn't pinpoint. She immediately realized it was a dream when she saw a smiling black-haired man walking towards her.

"Naru…"

He shook his head and put a finger to his lips, pointing at a spot behind her. She turned and saw that she was in the mansion's entrance hall, though this wasn't the dusty old hall she had seen a few hours before. The hall was bright and it seemed to sparkle. A girl descended down the stairs, her dress was Victorian and the girl was quite obviously not Asian. Her necklace caught Mai's attention immediately. It consisted of a red ruby, larger than any she had seen in her life, hanging from a delicate gold chain. The girl walked right by Mai and disappeared into darkness, not seeming to have noticed the girl or her companion.

Mai turned to the dream Naru, thoroughly perplexed.

"Was that necklace what you were trying to show me, Naru?" she asked. Suddenly she found herself standing on the balcony of her room. She looked down and saw that she was wearing the same dress that the girl had been wearing, in her hand was the ruby brooch. A hand came out from the shadows in front of her, pushing her without warning, and she felt herself falling over the banister, to her death.

"NARU!" she felt herself cry as she sat up with a start, gasping. Almost immediately she heard footsteps outside the door, which Takigawa nearly broke down trying to get to Mai. Naru was the next face she saw, followed by Masako, Ayako, and John.

"Mai, are you alright?" asked the monk, looking around with alarm, all ready to play hero and chant whatever spirit was bugging her all the way to next Tuesday. She nodded, running a hand through her hair. She'd had frightening dreams before and had learned to discern dreams from reality, but they still shook her up easily. Takigawa moved aside to allow Naru access to Mai, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed, leaning against Ayako.

"What did you see, Mai?"

She looked up at him, eyes blank. Then she blinked, focusing on him and his question.  
"It was a girl. She wasn't Japanese, and she was wearing a dress, Victorian, I think, and she had a ruby…I was her. I – she – was pushed off the balcony. My balcony." She told him. There was something she had missed, an important detail…but she couldn't seem to recall it at that moment.

'Maybe it'll come to me later.' Naru was already in motion, asking the monk and the miko to begin making some charms to ward off spirits, and John and Masako to look around the rooms of the mansion for lingering spirits that might need exorcising.

"Mai, tea."

She rolled her eyes and stood up. "Jeeze, girl wakes up from a nightmare and what do I get? No "are you okay?" no "are you feeling better?" Noooooooo, I get "What did you see?"" she mumbled under her breath. "Tea, Mai. Temperature, Mai. Shine my shoes, Mai."

"If you're quite finished…" he looked back at her, and though his voice sounded annoyed, she saw one of his rare smiles starting to appear before he turned and walked away.

She smiled nervously, getting up and stretching. 'Maybe it'd be a good idea to just stop talking one day.' She mused to herself as she walked out the door, oblivious to the white puff of light that was floating outside in the balcony.

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Author's note: Okay, I promise I'll attempt to put more Mai/Naru situations in the next chapter, maybe get them locked in a basement or something…nah…cliché. Ideas, anyone?


	4. Chapter 4

Mai walked into Naru's room, tea cup in hand, and set it down on his desk beside a mess of papers and books. He paused for a second and looked up at her, hands hovering over the keyboard.

"In your dream, did you see who pushed you, Mai?"

She paused for a moment, pursing her lips and thinking, before shaking her head.

"Nope. All I saw was a black shadow and a hand. Did you find something, Naru?" she asked.

"It's not substantial enough so as to pay attention to it." He merely replied, going back to his researching. Mai shrugged and tapped Lin on the shoulder.

"Would you like some tea, Lin-san?"

"No thank you, Taniyama-san" Came the response, so she decided to go and see how the others were doing in the investigation. She had just walked out into the corridor when she heard someone calling her name.

"Mai-chan! Are you busy?" asked her aunt as she walked up to the girl.

"Not really, Shizumasa-san. Did you need me for something?"

The elder woman nodded. 

"Yes, I found something that I think perhaps you'd like. I offered it to Kisa, but she said that it wasn't to her taste. She's rather selective, you understand." By now, Mai's curiosity had been sparked, and she had to keep from gasping audibly when the woman pulled a large ruby hanging on a gold chain from her purse.

"I found this down by the beach. It had been washed ashore and with a little cleaning, it'll look as good as new." She told her niece, handing it to her. Mai thanked her and walked back to her room, slightly dazed. This was the same ruby she had seen in her dream, the same ruby the girl had been wearing…and the same ruby that had been snatched away from her as she was shoved off the balcony by the strange hand.

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Mai looked at herself in the mirror in her room, examining her reflection. The image of the girl in the dress came back to her, and she was mildly jealous of how pretty the girl was. _I'm jealous of a ghost…could I be any more pathetic?_ she berated herself. She looked at the necklace in her hand and undid the clasp. Looking at herself in the mirror, she raised it to her neck, and went to fasten it.

"_**DON'T PUT IT ON!"**_

Mai dropped the necklace and it fell with a clatter on top of the dresser as she whirled around, positive that she had seen Naru standing behind her, in the mirror. She looked around, only to find that she was the only one in her room. She felt the hair on the nape of her neck stand up.

_Maybe Naru should get a look at this necklace…_ she decided, picking it up tentatively and hurrying out of her room. As she closed the door behind her, a faint shape materialized beside her bed, resembling a boy with black hair and deep blue eyes. It shook its ghostly head and sighed. _That girl is going to get herself killed one day…_ it seemed to be saying as it vanished again.

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"And you're sure that this is the necklace you saw in your dream?" asked Naru, examining it closely.

"Positive. It's identical to the one I saw. I'm almost positive that when she fell, the hand managed to grab it from her."

"Hm…" At that moment Masako and rest walked in. Their eyes immediately fell on the ruby necklace, and Takigawa whistled.

"Wow, is that the family fortune, Mai?" he teased with a wink. She shook her head, smiling.

"Shizumasa-san found it on the beach and gave it to me." She decided to omit the part where she had been about to wear it only to have the pants scared off of her. She didn't really see it as something that they needed to know, which often frustrated Naru when he later learned some information that Mai had omitted. She always seemed to be downplaying her psychic abilities.

"It's fake."

All eyes turned to stare at the black-haired teenager.

"How do you know?" asked John, tilting his head, and they all fought the urge to snicker. John never really had been cured of his habit of talking using the Kansai dialect.

"Its density is lighter than that of a real ruby. This is probably garnet, or even colored silica glass." He replied, handing the necklace to Masako. "Do you feel anything coming from it?"

She closed her eyes, holding the necklace with both hands.

"Nothing. It seems like a normal necklace." She responded, handing him the necklace back.

"In any case, I think perhaps I'll hold on to it for the time being." Said Naru, placing it on the desk beside his computer.

"For Mai's safety?" asked Takigawa, arching an eyebrow.

"To further aid my research." He replied simply.

Everyone in the room sighed, even Lin, albeit his was silent.

Did this boy never think of anything but himself and his research? Takigawa patted Mai's back, grinning.

"Well, if it's any consolation, _we_ care about your safety, Mai-chan."

She laughed dryly. "Thanks, that's really some consolation, Bou-san." she replied.

It occurred to Masako to look at Naru at that precise moment, and she saw Naru usual frown deepen at Takigawa's words.

_Idiot._ She thought, and for a second, she had the faint impression that another voice in her head said the exact same thing simultaneously.

Author's Note: Ah yes, there should be some Mai/Naru moments in the next chapter, so you can look forward to that. As much as I like Insta-love (just add water!), I much prefer to have things move along slowly, that is to say, naturally. (The above joke belongs to Azamiko, whose kickass GH story you should all go read. Like now.) Oh yes.

MWUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, THIS STORY SHALL CONTAIN SPOILERS FROM THE MANGA. BEWAAAAAAAAAARE.


	5. Chapter 5

_Mai found herself on the balcony, the wind ruffling her dress and her hand clasping the ruby at her throat as she backed up against the banister. _

"_My mother gave it to me, you can't have it!" she cried at a dark fuzzy figure in front of he, who seemed to laugh. _

"_Silly girl, you won't have any use for it if you're dead, will you?" a deep voice came from the figure as a hand reached out and shoved her over the ledge. She felt the chain of the necklace snap when the hand grabbed a hold of it and pulled as she fell to the water and the sharp rocks waiting below. _

Mai opened her eyes with a start, on the verge of hyperventilating.

_Why me? Why am _I _always the one who has the scary death dreams? _she asked whatever diety had seen fit to grant her that particular ability. She sighed, taking a look at her watch and realizing that it was only 2:00 a.m. She'd been asleep for only an hour.

_Knowing him, Naru's probably still awake reading one book or another. But…this can wait, I'll just tell him in the morning…_she decided, as she felt a heavy drowsiness drift over her, and her eyes closed as she fell into a deep slumber.

_She was on the grand staircase of the mansion, below her stretched a splendid ball, people dancing and drinking and just having a good time. A warm glow enveloped her as her eyes landed on Naru, looking handsome as ever in a black tuxedo, his eyes lighting up as he caught sight of her. Taking her hand as she arrived at the bottom of the staircase, he brushed his lips against it, his eyes never leaving her face. _

_  
"Clarisse, you look splendid." He murmured, causing her to blush. _

"_Charles, I'm so glad you made it." She replied, beaming. _

"_I wouldn't have missed it for the world." _

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Naru was beginning to nod off in front of his computer, exhaustion finally catching up with him, when an image of Mai tumbling over the rail of the balcony entered his mind.

_**MAI'S IN DANGER!**_

The words resonated in his mind as loudly as if he had actually heard them. Not usually one to ignore warning signs, he shot out of his room faster than Rocky the Flying Squirrel riding an SR-71 Blackbird. Lin, being the perceptive man that he was, felt that something was amiss, but figured that his boss was capable of handling it, and so he remained seated on his doughnut-shaped cushion, typing away, and once again the man left behind.

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_Mai didn't realize when it had happened, but she was once again outside on the balcony, enjoying the refreshing night air. The party that night had been a success, and she was content with the turnout. She absentmindedly stroked the ruby necklace her deceased mother, God rest her soul, had left her for her 18__th__ birthday. Her ears picked up the sound of footsteps and she whirled around. A person was hidden in the shadows, and though she struggled to make out his face, she could tell that his motives were not friendly. _

Naru felt the lock on the door click as his hand touched the handle. _The hell?_

_**Break it down, Noll! **_

At the sound of the name that he hadn't heard in years, Naru stopped short. "Gene…?" he whispered aloud in shock.

_**BREAK DOWN THE DOOR. **_Was the urgent reply. Where the hell Naru got the strength, he'll never know, but break it down he did, and what he found inside made his heart beat a little (read: a lot, though he'll never admit it) faster than it was already beating.

Mai had opened the doors to the balcony and was proceeding to step out into the night. In front of her was a shadowy cloud which seemed to be leading her to the railing.

"Mai!" he called out, to no avail. The words "sleep walking" entered his mind, and he knew immediately that if he didn't move fast, he was going to regret it. Crossing the room in three strides, he stepped out on the balcony.

"_Who are you? What do you want?" asked Mai, her voice urgent. The figure chuckled, taking another step, but still enshrouded by darkness. _

"_Just that pretty trinket you're wearing, Clarisse." _

"_My mother left it for me, you can't have it!" she cried out firmly, taking a step back without thinking and finding herself pressed up against the rail. _

"_Silly girl, you won't have any use for it if you're dead, will you?" For a split moment, Mai caught sight of her antagonist as he stepped out of the shadows to push her over the banister. _

"_Charles?" _

_Then darkness. _

"MAI!" Naru heard himself cry out, as out of the shadow emerged a black hand and pushed the sleeping girl over the edge.

Author's Note: Because I'm just bloody evil like that. Till the next chapter, kiddies! goes into hiding


	6. Chapter 6

"MAI!" Naru heard himself cry out, as out of the shadow emerged a black hand and pushed the sleeping girl over the edge.

Naru leaned over the ledge, desperately trying to reach Mai's hand only to have it escape him by millimeters. He watched in horror as Mai suddenly snapped out of her daze and realized what was happening. By then it was too late, and she hurled down through the night sky to her death.

**The End. **

**No, really, that's it. **

**I'm not kidding. **

**Oh all right already. Put away that pitchfork, I guess I can give that another try, just for your sake. **

The shadow dissipated as Naru hurled himself at the banister and reached over the edge, grabbing hold of Mai's clammy hand before she fell to her death.

**Is that better? But that's so incredibly cliché and predictable…Oh fine, if that's what you really want…**

"MAI!" he shouted down at her, attempting to wake her up. Her eyes were open, but he could see that behind them she was still asleep.

_Through all the darkness, Mai could see a shred of light breaking through. A voice told her to follow it, that it was safe, and so she did. After a few paces, she felt a thin barrier blocking her way. Lifting her hands to it, she realized that it was cloth, and that the light was peeking through a small hole in the cloth, directly in front of her. _

_She poked her finger through the hole and began to tear at it, feeling as the cloth unwove under her fingertips. When it had all come undone, the light poured through, blinding her for a moment. Once her eyes had adjusted to the light, her eyes could make out a faint shape, a person…black hair, deep blue eyes…_

"Naru?" said Mai softly, as she blinked out of her daze. Taking in her surroundings she realized where she was, and what would happen if she didn't get out of that situation fast. Those rocks really didn't look all that inviting.

"NARU!" she cried out, her other hand reaching for him as he attempted to pull her up. After a few moments of struggling, she managed to gain footing on the outside edge of the balcony. With a soft grunt, Naru pulled her up and over the balcony, into his arms.

**Say it with me: FINALLY. **

Mai felt her legs give out and stumbled, nearly taking Naru down with her. In one fluid motion he hooked his arms under her legs and her shoulder-blades, cradling her. If Mai hadn't still been severely shaken over the near miss, she would've had the decency to blush.

Naru carefully made his way back into the room, where he saw that the others had appeared and were looking at the both of them strangely.

Although she was still in shock, she was lucid enough to blush this time.

"Mai? Naru? What happened? We heard a crash, and the door was broken down…" Ayako inquired, looking somewhat worried.

"Mai was attacked, I got here in time. Takigawa-san, please fix the door when you get the chance, before Shizumasa-san sees it. Brown-san, Matsuzaki-san, please ward the room. Hara-san, let me know if you detect any spirits here. Lin." he replied evenly as he walked out the door, Mai in his arms. The others looked at each-other, then at his retreating back.

"When does he _breathe?_" wondered Takigawa aloud.

THISLITTLEPIGGYWENTWEEWEEWEEALLTHEWAYHOME

Naru carefully placed Mai on his bed, taking a step back and surveying his surroundings for a moment.

Only a truly dedicated person would've noticed the split-second of hesitation Naru went through before sitting down on the edge of the bed, beside her.

It completely missed Mai.

Lin caught it, though.

Naru observed her face, watching for the usual signs she showed when she was in the process of composing herself. As far as he could tell, she was still a bit dazed.

"Mai, are you all right now?" he asked, his voice a _smidgen_ gentler than his usual no-nonsense-don't-mess-with-me-or-I'll-throw-a-dictionary-at-you tone. She nodded slightly, blinking repeatedly.

"I think so." Her shoulders were shaking.

"What happened back there?"

She paused for a moment and Naru could see that she was blanking out again as she recalled what she had seen.

"I saw everything…the whole story…_her_ story…Clarisse…" she murmured, looking down at her hands. "I thought it was a dream…just a normal dream…but I was living it…and I nearly died because of it…" she broke off, still trembling, and Naru decided that perhaps it might be better to question her when she was rested and not quite as traumatized.

"Mai, you should get some sleep. Tomorrow you can tell us what you saw." He told her, his eyes as soft as the ones that dream-Naru had. However, she shook her head.

"But what if I-?"

It might have just been her imagination, but she could've sworn that she saw Naru touch her hand gently, just for a moment, before quickly removing it and standing up from the bed. She looked up at him, surprised.

"I'm not going anywhere. Sleep, Mai."

And with that thought in her head, she did.

IVEGOTALOVELYBUNCHOFCOCONUTSBUTWHYISTHERUMGONE?

**Author's Note: There, I hope that made up for my evilness in the last chapter. . A little bit of fluff. . You know a chapter that I just absolutely can't wait to write? Yeah, that one where that thing happens with those people at that place. Yeah, doesn't it sound like it'll be great? Catch you later, kids! **


	7. Chapter 7

For some reason unknown to Mai, she had a dreamless sleep for the remainder of the night, and true to his word, Naru was at his desk, though he seemed to have nodded off. Smiling slightly, Mai quietly arose and tip-toed over to where he was sleeping, his head propped on his arms. Once again, she marveled at how handsome the young psychic was, scolding herself lightly for continuing to maintain hope, even when it was obvious that he would probably never look at her the same way she looked at him now.

"Thank you." She whispered softly, laughing at herself as she imagined what his response might've been had he been awake. _Probably something along the lines of 'Idiot.' _She thought as she turned around and quietly walked out the door, unaware of the single blue eye that peered at her from underneath a curtain of black hair.

DIVIDERSARESOMUCHFUNBUTIMRUNNINGOUTOFCRAPTOWRITEHERE

"How horrible! Her own lover pushed her off the balcony?!"

Mai had just finished recounting the previous night's events, much to everyone's horror. None of them had realized that the danger Mai had been in had been so grave.

"So I get pushed in my dream, and I don't realize that I really WAS falling over the banister, I thought it was just another dream. I wake up, and there I am, hanging off the balcony, holding on to Naru's hand." Mai continued, trying not to sound _too _smug as she told them of how Naru had rescued her, loving the look of death Masako was shooting her while Naru wasn't looking. Takigawa wrapped his arms around her in a bear hug, to Mai's disdain.

"Poor Mai-chan! Having to go through an experience like that." He consoled her as she attempted to pry herself out of his grasp.

"Well, I'm fine now, Bou-san. And I'd much rather not have another near-death experience quite so soon, so could you please _let me go? You're cutting off my air supply._" She gasped, and everyone laughed as he apologized and ruffled her hair. It was an empty sound, though.

Everyone realized just how bad this haunting was, and they resolved to get rid of it soon before someone really _was_ killed. Naru had one last request (well, order) before they disbanded for the day, though.

"Please do not tell Shizumasa-san about what happened to Mai. However, make sure that her and her daughter's rooms are heavily warded against spirits."

They all nodded and slowly his room emptied out, leaving only Naru, Lin, and Mai who had lagged behind. Once Naru realized that she had been standing there for over 13.785 seconds, he glanced at her, his eyes as sharp as knives.

"Can I assist you in something, Mai?" he asked, his voice impatient.

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but ended up shutting it after a few seconds. Naru turned his attention back to the computer monitors.

"I see, then kindly leave so that I may get some work don-"

"Why did you hire me?"

He paused for a moment, and the penetrating stare he fixed her with made her feel as if she were a fly about to get squashed by a flyswatter.

"I'm sorry, _what was that?_" he asked, as if he hadn't heard the question correctly.

Mai took a deep breath and plunged on, sensing that she had just taken a footstep into enemy territory. But this was one of the many things that had bothered her about Naru, things that she had never had the spine to question him about. She figured that after nearly dying on several occasions, she had earned some damn answers by now.

Oh yes, by now Lin had fled the room, mumbling something about tea in the kitchen. The words "cold war" were also in there somewhere.

"I said…asked…what prompted you to hire me after that first case." His words when he had called her at the school still resounded in her head, the last words he had said before they hung up.

_One last thing… It was great working with you. Thank you. _

Naru had always managed to evade questions that pried into his decisions and his personal life. He either brushed them off as unimportant and simply ignored them, or occasionally sent a biting reply back at the inquirer, politely telling them to mind their own business. The way Naru saw it, he didn't have to answer to anyone.

However…

"You quickly grasped new information and did your task efficiently and with minor fuss." He told her, his tone indicating that as far as he was concerned, this conversation was over.

Mai begged to differ.

"Do you still stand by your decision?" and with that, she knew she'd stepped on a landmine. She could practically see the stubborn streak rising in Naru, and her breath caught in her throat as she watched his already cool eyes frost over.

"Do you not wish to work for me anymore, Mai?" his voice was even, but Mai had spent enough time around the teenager to know when he was fighting for self-control, and at the moment, she saw an entire war raging in Naru.

"That's not it, Naru. I mean…" she sighed, trying to compose herself, "Ever since you hired me, things have happened that have set back the team, and a lot of those events have happened because of me.

"You've helped the team." He couldn't help pointing out.

"I've nearly died repeatedly since I joined the team!"

"But you haven't."

"Because you're always saving me!"

He thought he sensed a little resentment in her voice, something that surprised him. Was she regretting all the times that he'd risked his neck to save hers?

"Is there a point in here somewhere, Mai?" he asked, his voice sharp. "Because from what it seems, you're not content with working for SPR. No one is tying you down, therefore if this is the case, then by all means, Taniyama-san, _quit._" The last word hung in the air, still resonating even as they both fell into silence.

Mai trembled slightly as she lowered her head, her hair shielding her eyes which were dangerously close to spilling over. She took a step back, afraid of saying anything for fear of letting loose the torrent of tears that threatened to spill. She managed one last pain-filled furious glance at Naru, who lifted his hand slightly, as if to reach for her, suddenly realizing that he'd gone a tad too far.

"Mai…"

By then, she had already turned tail and ran out of the room, past Takigawa who had lingered behind long enough to catch part of the argument. He was about to go after her when he realized that it really wasn't his task. With a sigh, he walked back to his room, shaking his head at how dense his 17-year-old boss could be.

OHNOESANGSTEVERYBODYRUNFORYOURLIVES

Naru was, for the first time in a long time, regretting every word he'd said to Mai. An image of her eyes, brimming with tears and so full of…hurt…kept running through his mind.

_Noll. Mirror. NOW. _

Although it was faint, the command that suddenly entered his mind felt every bit as strong as if it had been shouted at top volume directly into his ear-drum. Standing up from his chair, he looked around his room, his eyes landing on the full-length mirror hanging on the door of the closet. Slowly he walked to it, standing directly in front of it, not sure what to expect. There was his reflection, as it had always been…wait…something didn't feel right.

Naru moved his left arm slowly up and down, yet his reflection remained the same, still, rigid, and judging from the look on its face, extremely furious.

**Author's Note: Because it ain't a shojo fanfiction if it ain't got drama. . Not to worry, chapter 8 should be following in a little while, if you're lucky. I've been looking forward to this chapter every since chapter 1. Stay frosty! **


	8. Chapter 8

Naru didn't dare hope that what he was seeing in the mirror is what he thought he was seeing…or rather…_who_ he was seeing.

But there it was, no other explanation for it. An identical clone of him that at first seemed like a reflection, but didn't move when he did. Could this possibly be…

"Gene?" his voice was soft, full of all kinds of emotions, happiness, shock, sadness, pain, you name it, he felt it. The reflection's eyes softened, at the sight of his brother's expression, and it raised it's hand, pressing it against the mirror.

_Put your hand on the mirror, Noll. _The voice was faint and Naru could hear that it was fading away. Hesitantly, he raised his hand and placed it on the mirror, against Gene's.

_Can you hear me? _Naru saw the reflection's mouth move as the words resounded in his mind, loud and clear.

"Perfectly..." he replied with a nod.

_Good. __**What the hell were you thinking?! **_ Asked the ghost of Eugene Davis, an expression of anger and annoyance on his handsome features, and Naru was taken aback.

"You know, this isn't exactly how I pictured our reunion would be." He commented dryly.

_There'll be time for hello's later, you just committed a blunder of enormous magnitude, Noll. _

"I _know_ that! I just…" he broke off with a frustrated sigh. If even his twin brother was pissed at him from beyond the grave, then he had really screwed up.

_How could you say something like that to her? Why would you say something like that to ANYBODY? _

"But I-"

_Nnnnnnng. _His twin cut him off, and Naru couldn't recall Gene ever having been this forceful back when he had been alive.

_You misunderstood her, jumped to conclusions, didn't give her a chance to explain, and then proceeded to completely crush her. Where did you pick up these bad habits, Noll? Honestly, without me, you're a train wreck. _Gene paused for a moment with a sigh. _Would it __**kill**_ _you to be just a little nicer to the people you care about? Otherwise they won't know that you __**do**__ care, Oliver. Not all of them know you as well as I do, especially Mai. _

Naru lowered his gaze. His older brother had always had the magical ability of humbling him, and it was somewhat comforting to see that he still had it.

"I know…I know…I just…honestly thought that she…Her eyes, before she left…it was almost as if I'd _stabbed_ her." His voice had gone soft, and Gene just couldn't stay too mad at him. His brother might've been an ass, but at least he knew when he screwed up.

_That's because you words cut her deep. Noll, what Mai said, she didn't say because she was concerned for herself. She said it because she was concerned for you. You've saved her several times already, and she worried that perhaps she'd become a burden for you. _

Naru was, more or less, horrified. Well, her doubts had definitely vanished now. Gene saw that he'd struck a nerve and proceeded to tone things down a bit.

_You need to go find her and set things straight, Noll, and you need to do it now. Mai shouldn't be wandering around on her own, not after the attack. _

Naru nodded.

"You warned me last night, didn't you? If you hadn't, she'd be dead by now, Gene." he said, smiling at his brother. "Good looking out."

_I'm always looking out for her – and you – but mostly her. She has the uncanny ability to attract anything dangerous within a ten-mile radius, doesn't she? _Gene grinned slightly.

Naru smiled, genuinely smiled, for the first time in a long time. He had really missed his brother, and although he wasn't there corporally, at least they could speak to each other.

"That's my assistant for you. But I've managed to take care of her fairly well." He said, not without a touch of pride, causing his brother to shake his head. Naru would always be Naru.

_Yeah, yeah, I've done my share, now it's time to do yours. Mai is in danger in this place, so either get rid of the spirits around here-_

"Spirits? There are more than one?" he interrupted.

_There are two. Get rid of them and keep Mai safe, because if you let anything happen to her, so help me God I will __**haunt you**__ for the rest of your life until you either have me exorcised, or you die. Whichever comes first. _

"Do you really think I would deliberately allow something to happen to he-" he paused for a moment, a small smirk visible on his face. "You really care about her a lot, Gene, don't you?" his tone was smug as he watched his brother roll his eyes at him.

_I wonder what could've possibly given you that idea._

"You know, you weren't quite this snippy when you were alive."

_Yeah, well, you weren't as much of an ass, either. __**Wake up, Noll. **__You have an opportunity that I never had, and you're this close to blowing it. I regret not having met Mai until __**after**__ I died, but you lucked out. Now, either take advantage of this twist of fate, or you'll be seeing me in your dreams every night for the rest of your life, and believe me, they won't be pleasant dreams._

Naru felt a small pang of jealousy at hearing his twin speak like that about Mai, but he brushed it away, feeling silly.

"All right, all right. I understand, big brother. I'll go find her and.."

_Apologize? _Finished Gene, arching an eyebrow.

"…apologize." Confirmed Naru with a sigh. His pride was taking some serious blows today.

Gene nodded, pleased with himself.

_Good. Now go find her. _

"Wait, does Mai know about you?" Naru was reluctant to let go of the connection to his twin, afraid that he might never speak to him again if he did.

_She doesn't, and perhaps it's better that way. _

"What do you mean?" he had a million questions to ask, but he felt that that one needed to be answered as well. He felt Gene's voice growing fainter, though.

_No time now, we'll talk later. I'm feeling sleepy. Go find her, Noll. _

"But-"

_Go. _

And he was gone.

Author's Note: And entire chapter dedicated to Gene and Noll. This is the stuff dreams are made of. Oh yes, I take Saturdays off, and now that dad's home, updates will probably be reduced to once a day. May skip a day now and then, but I'll try not to. Believe it or not, I'm curious to see what happens as well. Ta!


	9. Chapter 9

Alright, fine, call me a filthy liar. I promised at least one update a week, and at best, you're getting one every…three months, or so. Sorry for the wait, please put away your torches and pitchforks. Chapter 9 of No More Words begins riiiiiiiight NOW.

HOLYCRAPIT'SANOTHERONEOFMYAWESOMEDIVIDERS

Mai rushed down the stairs as if the devil was at her heels. As far as she was concerned, though, she'd left the devil back in his office.

_"Idiot. You stupid, arrogant, insensitive, narcissistic, stuck-up __**IDIOT**_." She screamed in her mind as she made her way out the front entrance, not caring where she was going.

She didn't know how long she ran, all she knew was that when she finally stopped and looked around, the sun was setting, it was raining, and she was looking out at what seemed to be Poseidon's rage. Waves were crashing against the rocks furiously, determined to grind them down into naught but sand. Mai shivered slightly, from the cold rain pelting her as well as from something else, and stepped back from the cliff, determined that fate not try to ascertain itself. One close call was enough.

A strong pair of hands grabbed Mai's shoulders, causing her to stumble from fright. She would've nearly fallen, too, if the hands hadn't held her tight. Wondering if it was one of her friends, she turned.

She was face to fingers with a pair of disembodied hands.

WHOOOOOSPOOKYMWUAHAHAHAHAHILOVETHESEDIVIDERTHINGS

With a sigh, Naru walked out of his makeshift office, notifying Lin that he would be going out for a bit. The Chinese man nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He had no idea how Oliver Davis would react at a moment like this.

From the moment Naru set foot on the stairs, he realized that it was raining buckets outside, and he hoped to God that Mai wasn't silly enough to have gotten caught out there. Still, he figured he'd better go make sure she was all right, anyways. Grabbing an umbrella that was conveniently placed by the door by the author of this fan fiction for this sole purpose, he rushed out the door and headfirst into the storm.

Naru peered around, frantically trying to make out anything more than blurs due to the storm. At that moment, he heard a shriek that sounded conveniently like Mai.

_"Well, that was quick."_ He thought with a strangely morbid sense of humor, given the situation. Not sparing a second thought, he pinpointed the rough location from where he thought the voice was coming from, and broke into a run, dropping the umbrella in the process.

DIVIIIIIDERSDIVIIIIIIDERSDIVIIIIIDERSDIVIIIIDERSDIVIIIIDERS

Mai trembled and took a step back against her will. Her dream came rushing back at her, and she shook her head to clear it, trying to remain calm. With the steadiest hand she could muster, she chanted the spells that Bou-san and Ayako had taught her ages ago, hoping with all her heart that they would work.

The hands continued to move forward menacingly, and Mai despaired. (Well, if it had worked, Naru wouldn't be able to play knight in shining armor, now would he?) She glanced back and saw that she was approaching the edge of the cliff rather quickly.

"What do you want?!" she screamed at the specter, as a last attempt at saving her own life. "Why are you doing this?!" The hands came to a stop for a moment, and she thought she heard the wind whispering in her ear.

_Thief. _

The hands resumed their course, and Mai closed her eyes, waiting for the moment of impact.

Well, it came, alright, but not from the direction she expected.

Out of nowhere, something rammed into her side throwing her to the ground. Oddly enough, she felt herself land on something soft and warm, and opened her eyes.

Naru stared back up at her, and she realized that that warm, soft thing she'd landed on was him.

If Naru hadn't had other matters at hand to worry about, he would've had the decency to blush. However, this was no time to be embarrassed, as tempting as it seemed.

"Are you all right, Mai?" he asked as he gently pushed her off him and then stood up to face the hands, pulling her up with him.

"Y-yeah, I'm…fine." She breathed, not entirely sure as to what would be the correct emotion to feel at that moment. She was torn between swooning and killing him. So far, neither side seemed to be winning. Naru's arm circling around her waist brought her out of her trivial inner conflict pretty quickly, though. He pulled her to him, and glared coolly at the specter.

"Ayako and Takigawa's spells didn't work?" he mumbled to her, and she shook her head. His frown deepened, and she felt his arm tighten around her even more, protectively. "Looks like this'll take something stronger."

Mai looked up at him confused. "Something stronge-" she suddenly broke off, realization dawning on her. "No, don't even think about it, Naru!" she protested. "You know what happens every time you use even a little of your power!"

"I know!" he snapped back, then suddenly composed himself, sighing slightly. "I know. But there's no other way. He's not going anywhere until we make him."

"But you'll-!"

"I know." He said one final time, and she felt his arm loosen from around her waist as he stepped up, placing himself between her and the ghostly hands.

The last time Mai had seen Naru expel the amount of power that he now proceeded to expel, he had been glowing, and had wound up on a hospital bed for weeks. She sometimes wondered why God would give someone such a powerful gift when using it would hurt them. Mai shielded her eyes as Naru's aura grew brighter and brighter, pulsating with pure energy. She recalled the same feeling she'd had months ago, last time he had used his powers and her body had felt as if it was being covered by some sort of sticky film. The ringing in her ears grew exponentially louder when Naru took all that power he was harnessing, and released it in direction of the specter.

When Mai uncovered her ears and blinked away the spots that had appeared in front of her eyes, she saw that it had stopped raining, the specter was nowhere to be found, and Naru was lying at her feet, unconscious.

It took all of three seconds for her to drop to her knees by him and start yelling for help.

THEPOPOCATAPETLISNOTINCANADARATHERINMEXICOMEXICOMEXICO

When Naru opened his eyes, a strange sense of déjà vu settled over him. _You brought this upon yourself, Oliver, now you have to deal with it._ His mind berated him. Crowded around what he assumed was his bed were his friends, right down to the young Australian John Brown. While Naru had nothing against any of these people, he _did _suffer from a mild case of claustrophobia, and a couple of them, like Masako, were standing a little too close for comfort. Luckily, Lin realized his boss was feeling slightly uncomfortable, and glared at them all, causing them all to take a step back nervously as they noted that Naru had regained consciousness.

Naru glanced around and noted that he was not in a hospital, as he had expected, but rather in his room in the mansion. Apparently, Lin had decided against dragging him to the nearest medical facility. Perhaps he wasn't as damaged as he'd thought at first. Another thing he noticed was that Mai was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, bucko, how are you feeling?" asked Bou-san, breaking the light tension that had built up in the room. Naru looked at him and arched an eyebrow.

"Where's Ma-"

At that moment, Mai stepped into the room, a small cup of black currant tea sat on a silver tray in her hands. The others stepped away from the bed to allow her to pass, though Masako did so grudgingly, and Mai timidly approached his bedside, gingerly handing him the cup of tea, which he accepted gratefully.

"How are you feeling?" she asked softly, and Naru could see that she felt uneasy around him. Well, that was something he just couldn't allow.

"Fairly well." He replied, before proceeding to address the rest of the people in the room. "Lin, everyone, would you please give Mai and myself a few moments to speak alone?"

They left skid marks.

_Well, I suppose that means Mai filled them in while I was blacked out._ he thought with some amusement.

He turned back to Mai, and they observed each other for a few very long moments, neither saying anything.

"Thank you." blurted Mai, while simultaneously Naru said, "I'm sorry."

They paused and stared at each other again, Mai's breath catching in her throat as Naru gave her one of his very rare smiles.

"Allow me to go first, Mai." he petitioned, and when she merely nodded, he plunged on. "I understand now why you said what you did." he began carefully, "and I see your purpose behind your query." Mai shook her head, biting her lip as she often did when something was bothering her.

"I did it again. I got into trouble and you-I'm always doing this, always causing you to get hurt, or risk your life and-" she broke off, staring down at the floor. She was close enough to touch, which is exactly what Naru did next when he grabbed her hand, startling her into looking back up at him.

"Can I share a secret with you, Mai?" he asked, pulling her closer to the bed, and beckoning her to bring her head closer to his. She nodded, still slightly dazed from the sudden contact, and he brought his mouth close to her ear, breathing in the scent of her hair simultaneously. (**Shut up, I couldn't help myself**.)

He then proceeded to whisper something to her that caused her eyes to widen slightly.

YESTIBETTIBETTIBETTIBETNAGASAKIYOKOHAMANAGASAKIYOKOHAMA

Just as Naru finished whispering his secret, they heard the doorknob turn. Lin walked in just in time to see Mai jump away from the bed, thoroughly flustered, though looking considerably cheerier than he had seen her all morning. Acknowledging nothing, he merely stepped over to his workstation and resumed his perpetual typing. Naru smiled a bit to himself and asked Mai to bring him more tea, which she happily proceeded to do. As she walked out of the room, his words echoed through her head over and over, giving her a warm happy feeling she hadn't felt in a while.

_I choose to save you. _

Author's Note:

Ahahahaha, how's THAT for a happy chapter ending? To all of you who read my fanfiction just for the dividers, I'm sure you enjoyed seeing them return. And I guess you guys should go thank Azamiko, who innadvertedly inspired me to continue my story when I read the latest chapter of her own GH story, "Meeting the Parents." Go shower her with praise and reviews! Points to anyone who knows where I got the words for this chapter's dividers. Till next time, kiddies!


	10. Chapter 10

So. Here we are, a nice, even, round chapter ten. Should I be celebrating that I've even gotten this far without twisting Naru all out of whack? Speaking of which…would someone please tell me what the hell a "whack" even is? Kthnx.

BOOMWALLAWALLAWALLAMOOSE!

Two days had passed since Mai's near brush with death (again) and four days since they had arrived at he aunt's haunted mansion (fudge, that sounds cliché.). This knowledge was depressing Mai. It meant she had four less days left with the SPR, four less days with her friends, four less days with…

_Naru. _she thought gloomily. Mai was borderline wishing that she really had no family left, and that this was just another mystery that needed solving, after which they would all head back to Shibuya and just continue with their lives. Instead, a week and a half from now, they would all be leaving for Shibuya, and she would remain behind.

_Stupid laws._

Mai paced down the stairs, looking for something to do besides bring tea to her taciturn boss. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something moving outside the glass window on the main door and reflexively jumped. She then realized that the shadow was actually a man, somewhere in his mid-60's, she figured. Looking around to see whether her aunt or her cousin were around, she walked to the door and opened it.

"Can I help you?" she asked the man, and he frowned slightly, shaking his head

"I'm the gardener Shizumasa-san hired. Is she around?" he inquired in a gruff voice that sounded slightly metallic, as if it hadn't been used in a long time.

"Ah, you must be Emett-san!" came the voice of Mai's aunt, and she hurried to the door, all sunshine and rainbows. "Good, good, right on time! We're having a minor situation in the garden. Nasty little moles and such, do take care of it, will you?" she asked sweetly, and Mai realized that her aunt was the kind of person that you could handle only in small doses. Anything more than that would kill you.

_Out of all the people in the world, __**she**__ has to be family. _Mai grumbled inwardly. The man nodded and walked off, sparing one last look at Mai that caused her hair to stand on end. She noticed that for a 60-something year-old geezer, he carried himself the way someone in their 40's would. No hobbling there.

_Maybe I should go and tell Naru about him. It couldn't hurt. _she thought, as she jogged back up the stairs and to Naru's make-shift office.

ONELITTLEINDIANBOYLEFTALLALONEHEWENTANDHANGEDHIMSELFANDTHENTHEREWERENONE.

Somewhere in the darkness, undisturbed by time, Eugene Davis slipped into consciousness once more. _I really wish I could tell how long these little sleeping spells last. Better yet, I'd like to know why the hell I'm still here. _he thought, though not entirely curious as to what the answer would've been. He was rather content whenever he was helping Mai or his twin brother, but this place was just much too strange for his tastes. Gene suddenly became aware that a new presence was within the premises of the house. He couldn't detect any malevolent aura coming from it, but that didn't mean much in a place where he was tied down by invisible bonds for 90 of the time. Should he warn Mai and Naru, just in case they hadn't noticed it yet? He hoped that Naru had swallowed his pride and apologized to Mai before something horrible happened. This was no time for them to be having petty arguments, not when they were caught in the middle of two vengeful ghosts.

BOOMSHAKALAKALAKABOOMSHAKALAKALAKA

Mai sat cross-legged on Naru's bed, who was still recuperating from the ghostly encounter they'd had two days ago. He had the case files in his hand and had been attempting to make some head-way in the case when Mai had walked in and plopped down on his bed, nearly bruising his legs in the process. While he appeared annoyed that Mai was sitting so comfortably on his bed, he actually didn't mind. It was nice when once in a while, someone treated him like a person, not just their boss. He'd die before he'd tell anyone that, though.

"Was there something you wanted to discuss, Mai?" he asked in his usual testy tone of voice.

"Shizumasa-san hired a gardener."

"And this is something I needed to know because…?"

"I'm not sure. Something about him seemed…odd." she mused aloud, causing him to pay a little more attention. Naru had learned from early on to not ignore any of Mai's instincts, as they had proven to be correct on more than one occasion.

"How old is he?" he inquired.  
"Early 60s, I'd say. He looked strong though, not like any other elderly person I've seen before. And he looked at me funny before he left again." she added.

"Funny…how?"

"I'm not sure. It just kind of spooked me a little."

"Is there anything you _are_ sure about, Mai?" he asked arrogantly, arching an eyebrow, and she bristled.

"I know something about him is odd." she snapped.

"I'll look into it, then." he conceded. At that moment, there was a soft knock on the door and Masako walked in, not even trying to conceal her displeasure at finding Mai sitting so comfortably with Naru. Pasting on a smile, she went and stood by his bedside.

"How are you feeling?" she asked him, and he nodded, but didn't return the smile.

"Better. Have you sensed anything in the past couple of days, Hara-san?" Mai caught the split-second that Masako's smile flickered, though whether Naru hadn't or simply chose to ignore it, she wasn't quite sure.

"There are two, both are vengeful, but one seems to be less malevolent than the other." she replied, and Naru scowled. That meant that the spirit that had attacked Mai was still around.

_The question is why didn't I get rid of it? Why were my powers not enough? _

"Thank you, Hara-san. Please notify the others that we'll resume investigating tomorrow morning, but to keep an eye out for anything strange." Anyone could see that she had been dismissed, and while this miffed her, she figured that now was not the time to be stubborn and quietly exited. Naru turned his attention back to Mai, and she had the feeling that she knew what was coming.

"Mai…"

"I know, I know. Tea, right?" she finished, getting up from the bed and stretching slightly.

"Actually, how are you feeling?"

She froze mid-stretch. Where had THAT come from?

"Um…I'm feeling okay."  
"No other nightmares since that night?" She shook her head, and Naru lowered his voice.

"Be careful, Mai. I know you have the uncanny ability to attract countless dangers, and now, more than ever, you need to _be more careful_. We've already seen that whatever is here is going after you purposely, and we can't take any chances. Don't go any place where there aren't people, and please try to avoid going outside." he told her, causing her to stare at him in shock. She'd seen him concerned about her safety before, but for some reason, she thought she heard a note of urgency hidden in his voice this time.

"I'll be more careful." she promised, and he leaned back on his pillow and closed his eyes for a moment, satisfied.

"Good. I'd hate to have to break in a new assistant."

IGOTTHEJOYJOYJOYJOYDOWNINMYHEARTTODAYYYYYY

After Mai had left to do whatever it is his assistant did in her spare time, Naru allowed his thoughts to drift, not really caring where they went. Things were still a bit awkward between him and Mai, but he'd noted that she wasn't letting that stop her. She seemed to be determined to get rid of whatever wall was standing in their way with the ferocity one would use to stomp on a cockroach. She was definitely something else.

Something Naru had realized a little while after she became his assistant was that Mai was usually far more concerned with the well-being of others, rather than her own, and that was something Naru couldn't help but admire in her. He had been startled when he'd realized that Mai hadn't been worried about herself, or her pride, when she'd spoken to him and they had quarreled. As far as he knew, Mai had always thought he was an arrogant, pompous narcissist who was good looking, nothing more. He'd had no idea that she'd been so worried every time he jumped in to bail her out of some scrape she'd gotten into.

_Well, show's how much I know. Perhaps she's not as shallow as she seems sometimes. _Naru opened his eyes and gazed up at the white ceiling. They had been here for four days. They had a little less than a week and a half before they'd have to pack up and leave Mai behind. The question that plagued him the most now, though he'd never admit it, unsettled him immensely.

When it came time to return to Shibuya, would he really be able to leave her behind?

LLAMALLAMALLAMALLAMALLAMALLAMALLAMALLAMALLAMADUCK!

Later that night, Mai slipped into her usual boxer shorts and cotton shirt bed attire and did all her usual stuff girls do before they go to bed. She glanced at the balcony and shuddered, the memory of herself nearly falling to her death still fresh on her mind. Turning back the covers, she climbed onto her bed, but something compelled her to look into the mirror on top of her dresser one last time. Staring back at her was Naru, his eyes wide, and he seemed to be saying something. She blinked and looked again, but he'd disappeared. Blaming her overactive imagination, she turned off the lights.

The next morning when Naru and the rest of the team found her, she was still in bed, the faux-ruby necklace on her neck, and no matter how hard he tried, Naru couldn't wake her up.

DUMDUMDUUUUUUUUUUMMWUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHHAAHA

Author: I'm evil. But you all knew that. Okay, from here on out, I know exactly where I'm going, and what direction this'll take. I think I have a rough estimate of about 6 or 7 chapters left, and maybe an epilogue. So stay tuned!


	11. Chapter 11

Ahahahaha, I left you all hanging.

No, I'm not sorry.

I'd like to dedicate this chapter to Kracken l.w, who reads my story solely for the dividers.

THISDIVIDERISESPECIALLYFORYOUKRAKENSOFEELHONOREDDAMMIT

Imagine Mai's surprise when she suddenly materialized in front of Eugene Davis. (Though she still thinks he's Naru)

Go ahead. Imagine it for a second.

Are you imagining it?

Good.

Now multiply it by 23, and that was how surprised _Gene_ was.

Out of all the things Gene had expected the necklace to do, bringing Mai to this purgatory was most certainly not one of them. While instinctively Mai was aware that this wasn't one of her usual dreams, she wasn't entirely sure as to how dire the situation was.

"What-" she began, before Gene shushed her, closing his eyes and thinking for a moment. Mai wasn't here like she usually was when she visited this realm. Usually, she was here in mind only, but judging from the ghostly haze that was floating around her, Gene suspected that her soul was here as well this time.

"You're not supposed to be here." he said slowly, looking at her after a few seconds. Mai looked around, noting that she was still surrounded by darkness, when usually, she would've already been seeing something else, some clue that would bring her closer to the answer to the mystery. Yet all she saw was black.

"I'm…not?" she asked hesitantly, not entirely sure how much was a dream and how much was reality, or whether any of it was reality. She simply knew that if her dream!Naru looked worried, then she had a reason to worry.

Gene contemplated how much time he might have before being drawn back into another slumber, and decided that perhaps the best way was to _show_ her what had happened. He closed his eyes again, and the darkness around them started to ripple. Mai suddenly saw her room and herself on the bed, as if she were looking out of a window. She saw a pair of ghostly hands reach through the wall- and shivered.

They were the same hands.

The hands were holding the same necklace that she had given Naru days ago, and they swept down and latched it around her neck. The sleeping Mai stirred lightly, and Mai suddenly saw a small sphere of translucent light emerge from her body and disappear into thin air.

The darkness rippled again, and now Mai saw everyone from SPR crowded around her bed, Bou-san trying to shake her awake. Then she saw Naru, who was being supported by Lin, enter. She watched the color drain from his face as they tried to wake her, to no avail.

The darkness rippled one last time, then everything disappeared and Gene opened his eyes.

"Do you understand now, Mai?" he asked her gently, to which she could only stare at him, shocked.

"I'm…dead?" she whispered, horrified.

"No. You're not. But if we don't get you out of here within the next 48 hours, I have a feeling that you will be."

CUEDRAMATICMUSICWEWILLBEBACKAFTERAWORDFROMOURSPONSORS

"Her pulse is weak, less than 60 beats per minute. Her breathing is shallow, but steady. She's-" Lin paused for a moment, searching for the right words. "She's definitely alive." He didn't have the heart to add what they both already knew- that she might not last very long at the rate she was fading.

Oliver Davis sat on the bed, looking down at his assistant –and his friend.

_She's just sleeping._ he kept telling himself. _She'll wake up._

"No evidence of breaking and entering, no signs of a struggle, everyone was in their rooms the entire night, and her relatives-"

Naru spoke. "At approximately 2 in the morning last night, the temperature in Mai's room dropped rapidly, and stayed that way for 40 seconds before rising again."

"Then you think-?"

"Yes. I don't know which one it was, but one of the spirits placed the necklace on her and sent her into a death-sleep."

_And when I find it, I'm going to send it straight to Hell, where it belongs._

OHBOYPISSEDNARUISN'TTHATJUSTMOTHERFUDGINGTASTIC

Gene had never been submitted to a greater temptation than the one he was going through right now. Here she was, virtually dead, (_sleeping. SLEEPING._ he reprimanded himself) and he had the power to keep her there forever.

Soooooo tempting.

At first, Mai had just been some girl who worked for his brother who he discovered that he could contact through her dreams. But over time, while helping them solve case after case, he'd begun to grow fond of her, to the point of envying his brother for having her so close, and yet never taking advantage of the opportunity. (NOT THAT WAY) He knew Mai was in love with Oliver, it was apparent in the way the girl acted around him and the way she acted around Gene, under the impression that Gene was Naru.

_So wouldn't that technically mean she's in love with me?_ he mused, before banishing the thought from his mind. Dwelling on notions like these when Mai's life was on the line was dangerous, very dangerous. Noll cared about Mai very much, though he loathed admit it to anyone, and taking her away from him without him realizing it was something that Eugene Davis just did not have the heart to do to his own twin brother.

Mai suddenly looked up at him from where she was sitting on the floor, her hands cradling her face in despair.

"What are we going to do, Naru?"

Gene sighed, keeping the image of his brother's ashen face in his mind as he gazed down at her, his usually peaceful expression torn.

"We find a way to get you out."

HOLYCRAPI'MRUNNINGOUTOFCRAPTOUSEFORDIVIDERSWAITNOI'MNOT

Author: Short chapter. Very short. This is all I've had time to write, and I'm debating how to continue from here. I'm being assaulted by a million plot bunnies, and I have to figure out which ones are the best ones to listen to. No worries, I'm sure everything will turn out fine.

Did I put in enough dividers for you, Kraken? XD


	12. Chapter 12

It's finals week. And me, being the idiot that I am, after studying for 3 hours and memorizing enough facts to have them spouting out the wazoo, instead of going to bed and resting for tomorrow, I'm here, sitting at my computer, typing a chapter of Ghost Hunt Fanfiction that has been overdue for like…months now. Believe it or not, I'm actually close to figuring out how to get Mai out of spiritual limbo. (Yes, I got her in there, and I don't even know how to get her out, great writer that I am.) Why is this chapter so late, you ask? I went on strike early. I foresaw the Writer's Strike coming months in advance (because I'm also psychic now!) and decided to show my support early by not writing anything either. That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it.

IT'STHERETURNOFTHEINCREDIBLYPOPULARDIVIDERSTHREECHEERS!!!

"Naru, I know you're concerned, but you have to eat _something_!" pleaded Ayako to her boss, who hadn't budged an inch away from Mai's bed since they had discovered her comatose 7 hours ago. She had been chosen as the spokesperson for the rest of the concerned SPR based on a quick game of Ro Sham Bo. Nobody had wanted to approach Naru at that particular moment.

And with good reason.

Blue eyes regarded the priestess with all the warmth of a dead penguin frozen to an iceberg.

"Have you made any progress?" he inquired coolly, looking up from the bedside where he had been monitoring Mai's vitals carefully. The others had been working tirelessly all day, trying to find a clue, any clue, as to how to bring Mai out of her death-sleep.

"No, we don't have anything substantial yet. But-" Naru cut her off with a curt "thanks, but no thanks" in regard to her request that he rest for a bit, and turned towards Mai again, hand on her wrist to monitor her pulse.

Ayako knew when she'd been dismissed.

I'MATEENAGEMUTANTNINJATURTLESFANANDIAMNOTAFRAIDTOADMITIT

Mai didn't know how long she'd been there, or how she was going to get out, but she did know that she was starting to feel very, very sleepy. When she voiced this fact to Gene, he knew matters were getting worse. If she slipped out of consciousness, he didn't know how long it would be before she "woke up" and by then it would probably be too late to get her back to her body. He grabbed her shoulders, and shaking her gently, said "Don't fall asleep, Mai! Try your hardest to stay awake, you'll find a way out, I promise you."

Her eyes refocused for a moment, staring wide at him before a yawn made her drowsy again. _I didn't even know souls could yawn, _she mused. They had been walking in the darkness for what she assumed were hours, and still there didn't seem to be an end in sight. However, all this quiet time (and Naru had been _very_ quiet for quite some time) had given her a chance to do a lot of thinking and process thoughts she simply hadn't had time to deal with before now. Out of the jumble of thoughts that had been in her head, one question rose above all the others and placed itself on her tongue.

"Why is dream-Naru so different from the real Naru?" she blurted out before she could stop herself. Gene, who had been holding onto her shoulders until now, abruptly released her and took a small step back. How was he supposed to answer that? He thought for a moment, observing the look of determination mixed with curiosity that was set in her eyes. She wanted an answer, and she wanted it _now._ He chose to reply using the same third-person perspective she had used to ask the question, that way, he wouldn't be entirely lying.

"The real Naru doesn't know how to show his emotions. All his life, he's hidden behind a wall, and very few have ever gotten over that wall. Just be patient with him, Mai. Slowly, he'll let the wall crumble."

"You dodged my question." Gene sighed inwardly, knowing that eventually either he or his brother was going to have to tell her the truth.

"Listen, Mai-" he was abruptly cut off by a soft glow that appeared out of the darkness in front of them. A pale shape shimmered into view, and they could both see that it was a woman.

"It's you!" exclaimed Mai, and Gene tensed automatically. "_You_'re Clarisse!"

She had a classically beautiful face with a beauty mark on her left cheek. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders and half-way down her back. She seemed to be wearing a Victorian-style dress, though neither of them would've vouched for that simply because their knowledge on fashion was limited. Clarisse smiled at them, her eyes tinged with sadness and also with something else. It took a minute for Gene to realize what it was.

Blood thirst.

"I'm truly sorry for the inconvenience, darling, but I had to do it," she said in a light musical voice. Before neither Mai nor Gene could get a word in edgewise, she'd vanished.

Mai turned and stared at Gene, her expression one of pure shock and fear. Gene saw his own expression mirrored in her eyes, and he had to admit that it was a hopeless one.

_Now what, Gene? _he asked himself. He turned to Mai only to find that's she'd wandered ahead, and seemed to be glued to a particular spot.

"Mai?" he walked to her and found that she was looking out into her room from what seemed to be a window. He'd figured out a while back that the random windows into the world of the living that he encountered were actually mirrors in that world. He had yet to figure out _why_ he could see out of them, though. She seemed to be shaking, and it took him a second to register that she was _angry_.

"My body. She's taking my body." Gene gazed out the small window and saw Mai's body on the bed begin to stir. A few seconds later, she sat up and blinked at Naru who stared back at her with surprised. She looked down at her hands, moving them tentatively before throwing herself at Naru and embracing him, much to Naru's (and Lin's) immense shock. Mai's hands clenched into fists, and Gene was afraid that she might start to cry at any moment from despair. The others had come into the room and were all gathered around Mai's body, asking her if she was all right, if she wanted anything, whether she knew what had happened to her. She merely shook her head, smiling, and telling them that maybe she had been really tired from everything that had happened in the past few days. The others still insisted that she remain in bed, just to make sure that she'd be all right, and she agreed, settling down onto the bed again, a slightly nonplussed Naru sitting beside her.

Eugene wasn't sure, but he could've sworn that the ruby necklace around her neck was glowing faintly. When the false Mai casually placed her hand on Naru's arm as they talked, Mai brought her fists up to the window and tried banging on it as hard as she could, somewhat surprised that her fists weren't going through it.

"That's not me, that's not me, _that's not me!_" she cried out in frustration. "Why can't he see that?" Gene stood behind Mai and placed his hands over her fists, which were still propped up against the window. She was breathing hard and shaking slightly. Gene realized that Mai finally understood that she might not make it out of there, and true fear had set in, and with it, despair and hopelessness. Right then, Gene did the only thing a dead guy in his situation could possibly do when faced with a close-to-tears girl. He let go of her hands and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her in towards him and burying his face in her short hair.

"I promised I was going to get you out, and I will, Mai," he told her firmly, softly. She turned her head to the side, refusing to look out the window any longer.

"I don't think you're Naru," she told him, her voice wavering a bit. "But I trust you all the same." Gene loosened his hold on her in surprise, and she turned around to face him, their faces uncomfortably close. "But when this is all over, if I ever see you again, will you tell me who…or what…you really are?" He stared at her for a moment before nodding, a look of relief on his face. For now, she would accept things just as they were.

"Is this a bad time?" a girl's voice coming from their right asked. "I could come back later." Gene and Mai cautiously turned to face the voice, by now highly suspicious of anyone who suddenly appeared out of thin air. She was pretty, but rather plain, clad in a light yellow sun dress and white sandals. Her long, loose, chestnut-brown hair fell in waves over her shoulder, and even as plain as she looked, Gene and Mai immediately noticed the resemblance.

The girl smiled, a bright, cheery, almost beauty-pageant smile.

"My name is Clarisse, and I'm going to get you out of here."

ISHOULDREALLYBESTUDYINGINSTEADOFWRITINGTHISCHAPTER

_Author's Note: Right, so after much deliberating, I've finally traced out the course for the rest of the story. Things should move pretty quickly from here on out. You have no idea how hard I'm working to keep my Gene/Mai urge under control. Does it show? XD And also, I recently saw that I've hit 100 Reviews! Whoo! This just might spur me on to write a short Naru/Mai story, if I get assaulted by some plot bunnies soon. EDIT- I figured out where I screwed up. I made some abrupt changes to the story half way through this chapter, but forgot to go back and fix some of the parts that wouldn't make sense. As one reader pointed out to me, Mai's naive, not stupid. _


	13. Chapter 13

Hard to believe that a year and four months ago, I posted up the first chapter of this story…and that I'm still not done. Ah well, hopefully now that I'm back in school and taking an awesome English class, the creative juices will get flowing and I'll be able to change that. I actually wasn't even considering working on the next chapter until a reader left a review asking me if the dividers were ever going to come back. The _dividers_. So I figured, hell, forget the story, THE DIVIDERS HAVE THEIR OWN FANS. And so I began this next chapter.

THEFACTTHATI'MVEGETARIANHASABSOLUTELYNOTHINGTODOWITHTHISSTORY

When Mai opened her eyes and sat up, Oliver was as shocked as anyone as anyone in his position could be. Just a minute ago she'd been almost dead and now she was…hugging him? What? Somewhere in the room he heard Lin sputtering and he assumed the older man had choked on whatever he had been drinking at the moment. Naru's looked down at the girl in his arms mildly stunned, and gently pulled away to get a better view of her.

He was vaguely aware that the others had begun to crowd around her bed, asking her if she was all right, if she wanted anything, whether she knew what had happened to her. She merely shook her head, smiling, and telling them that maybe she had been really tired from everything that had happened in the past few days. An alarm went off in Naru's head. Mai wouldn't be this calm about something of this magnitude.

His eyes never left her face as she settled into the bed. She was looking down at her hands again, moving her fingers as if checking for something.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, startling her out of her thoughts. She smiled as she leaned towards him a bit.

"No, I'm just a little cramped. Lack of muscle use, I suppose. Have you been here during all the time I was – ah – asleep?" Her voice was light, as if she were merely making conversation.

His answer was short, as per usual. "Someone had to monitor your vitals."

She nodded, an edge to her smile. "Thank you," she replied, casually placing a hand on his arm.

Though it was unfathomable to him as to _why_, a shiver ran up his spine.

On her neck, the faintly glowing ruby lay forgotten.

BOOMDEYADDAHBOOMDEYADDAHBOOMDEYADDAHBOOMDEYADDAH

The spirit looked down at the girl's – no, its- hands, and frowned. It wasn't taking to the body as it should have. The smallest thing might knock it right back out, and it just couldn't have that. It had manipulated whatever small amount of magic the necklace contained into a concealment spell that kept anyone from remembering the girl still had it on. It wasn't sure what would happen if the necklace was removed, but it didn't want to know yet.

For now, all it had to do was keep up this façade of being a teen-aged girl until it found _that_ person. The spirit looked at Naru, who stared back with a look of puzzlement and something it identified as suspicion.

This was going to be difficult.

MENTALLYRETARDEDLLAMASUPERLLAMADRAMALLAMABIGFATMAMALLAMAMOOSE

At this point in time, Gene and Mai found themselves looking suspiciously at the apparition in front of them. The spirits' smile hitched a little as the staring became prolonged, and three minutes into it, she'd had enough.

"I'm sensing you two have some unspoken issues with me," she said tartly, crossing her arms. "Either get over them or the girl will be stuck here." She directed this remark at Gene, who was keeping a tight grip on the Mai. "Not that you'd mind, I'm sure," she added, arching an eyebrow at the fact that his arm remained around her.

If ghosts had flesh and blood, Gene was sure he would've been blushing.

Mai chose this moment to speak up. "Could you really get me out? Soon?"

"Unfortunately for you, you can't just waltz right out of here," replied the ghost of Clarisse. "But, that lovely little window there might just make it easier."

"How so?" asked Gene, glancing through the window at the impostor and his brother.

"If we can get her body to touch it at the same time Mai places her hand on it, the necklace will activate and their souls will switch. I'm positive," said Clarisse confidently.

Mai looked hopeful, sure that they had a solution on hand. "

"So how do we do that?" she asked, barely containing her eagerness to get the hell out of that place.

"Um…I haven't quite figured that out yet," came the sheepish response.

IWASONCEATREEHOUSEILIVEDINACAKEBUTINEVERDIDSEEHOWTHEORANGESLAYEDTHERAKE

Something kept glittering at the edges of Masako's vision, and it was beginning to annoy her. More specifically, the glittering only appeared whenever she was around Mai. Even odder, Masako was quite sure that something was very off with Mai. She was different, more reserved, less argumentative…And that glitter! What was it?

As thoroughly bothered with the entire situation as she was, it was no surprise that when Naru and Lin left the room for a few minutes on one of their equipment-checking rounds, Masako took this opportunity to do a little investigative work of her own. She slipped into Mai's room, her long kimono making a soft swoosh as she closed the door behind her and turned to face the girl she'd grudgingly grown to respect.

"Are you feeling better, Mai?"she asked, unsmilingly. The spirit, sensing that this girl was suspicious, instantly jumped to its guard.

"Yes, thank you. I'm just a bit light-headed, but otherwise fine," the impostor replied carefully. Masako drew closer to the bed and sat down at the edge, next to Mai's feet.

"You had us all very concerned, you know," she remarked, her fingers toying with a loose thread on the comforter. "Kazuya was starving himself from worrying so much."

The spirit rubbed the back of its neck, thinking this was the appropriate thing to do in such a situation. "I'm sorry if I scared any of you. It wasn't my intention."

The red glittering played in the corners of her vision again. "No, I dare say it wasn't," replied Masako softly, an idea tumbling through her head. Abruptly, she stood up and made for the door. "Well, with you bed-ridden, I suppose this is my chance to finally make tea for Kazuya." She turned to look at Mai, a confused expression on her face. "But I don't remember…what's his usual blend, Mai?"

Mai gave it some thought for about a split second. The boy, while sporting a name like Kazuya Shibuya, was undoubtedly of English origin. It had been easy to see once he'd spoken the language with that Chinese assistant of his at one point, when he'd thought Mai was asleep. "Earl Grey."

Masako nodded, offering a small smile before wishing her to get well and exiting, closing the door behind her with a soft "thmp".

_Impostor_.

THISONETIMEATBANDCAMPIDREWAPICTUREOFTHEGUYILIKEDANDGAVEITTOHIMHEFREAKEDOUT

"That's not Mai."

The room went silent as everyone proceeded to absorb the dramatic entrance Masako had just made.

"_What's_ not Mai?" asked John, his blue eyes mirroring the puzzlement the rest of the team felt. Ayako and Bou-san paused in the middle of their argument about who had exorcised the most spirits, Naru and Lin looked up from their respective monitors, and John closed his _Speaking Japanese the Right Way_ book as Masako proceeded to explain.

"Shibuya-san, what tea does Mai usually serve you?" She could practically see the question marks on the other's faces.

"How is this relevant, Hara-san?" he asked, and she shook her head.

"Please, Shibuya-san, it's important."

He sighed, unable to see the point. "Black Currant, why?"

Masako's face clouded, now certain that she was right. "Always?"

"Since day one."

"Then why doesn't Mai know that?"

A heavy pause permeated the room, the others looking at each other as her words sank in. Naru looked sick.

"Maybe...maybe her memory is fuzzy…?" Bou-san suggested half-heartedly. Even he didn't believe himself.

Masako plunged on. "And I keep seeing this red glitter out of the corner of my eye whenever I'm near her, but when I try to look at it directly, it vanishes."

"Does anyone know where the necklace is?" asked Ayako suddenly, looking at everyone in the room, her eyes wide.

"I think a better question," remarked Bou-san, "would be 'Does anyone know where Naru is?'"

The chair where the young prodigy had been sitting was empty.

IWANNAROLLWITHTHEGANGSTERSBUTTHEY'REALLTHINKINGI'MTOOWHITENANDNERDY

_Author's Note: Oddly enough, I started writing this chapter about six months ago and only opened it up again about half an hour ago. I had no idea what I was going to write, but I think I'm starting to see an end in sight. Also, duuuuuuude, I hate the fact that I can't seem to give John Brown more than one or two lines every 6 chapters or so. He's such a neglected character, even in the series. ALSO: Can't wait for Ghost Hunt to come to DVD soon. I've got money burning a hole in my pocket. See you next year! XD (no, not really. Maybe.)_


	14. Chapter 14

_A/N: The Plot Bunnies are demanding that I keep going, so I guess you guys are in luck. Meanwhile, it has come to my attention that Noll and Gene's birthday is next week. This calls for a celebration. More about this at the end of the chapter. Right, well, here's an update, so knock yourselves out. _

_**Disclaimer:**_** For the first time since I started writing this, it has come to my attention that a little disclaimer may be in order (Read: Someone I know said something to me that bugged me like hell). Not the general "characters not mine, blah blah blah" disclaimer either. **

**But rather: **_**I am fully aware that I am breaking several canonic laws in the Ghost Hunt universe. If anything, they are minor laws that people will either dismiss (as they're not entirely crucial laws) or not know about, based on the fact that they were never covered in the anime (you'd have to go do a little extra research to get all the info on Ghost Hunt). I am also aware that I am inconsistent in the use of Japanese in the form that I will sometimes use honorifics (san, chan, sama, etc) and sometimes not. (Note the lack of over-used words like "sugoi", "desu", and "kawaii". Budding fanfiction writers, please avoid them in your writing. Your audience will thank you for it.) I use them as I see fit, I trust this won't cause too much of a fuss. In a sense, I am writing this fic as a continuation of the **__**anime**__** NOT the actual novels. I am, however, taking elements from the novels themselves (Gene, Naru being able to communicate with Gene through a mirror, etc.) Sorry if any of this bothers any of you (and I **_**am**_** terribly fond of you guys), but I just needed to clear this up. Also, one concept in the plot (ruby necklace, chick falling off a balcony dealie-o) was actually borrowed from another book by Francine Pascal (Sweet Valley Twins, Sweet Valley High, etc) because when I started writing this, it was just an experiment. I hadn't written fanfiction in years (and I mean years) and I was very uneasy about writing for a genre I wasn't used to (paranormal horror), so I saved myself a headache and just picked out a concept I remembered liking years ago and used it here. The balcony thing and the necklace are the only things I borrowed, everything else is my own (with, you know, someone else's characters….) This is the first (and only) time I've ever done this, and I can assure you that any future stories will be 100 my original best. And there will be more. Maybe even a sequel. Who knows. **_

**Right. End of long rant. On with it. **

**ROSESAREREDSCABSHAVEPUSALLYOURBASEAREBELONGTOUS**

While the others tried to decide whether or not to follow Naru to Mai's room (as they were certain that's where he was going), Gene and Mai were currently pondering their situation from the other side.

"All right," said Gene after what seemed like a very long time of no one saying anything. "All we have to do is get Mai's body to touch this mirror?" Mai, who currently sat at his feet with her head on her knees, let out a soft groan. She was never getting out of there. The spirit of Clarisse twirled a strand of her ghostly hair absentmindedly, staring out the small opening that indicated the placement of the mirror.

"Well…yes. If Mai's body touches the mirror at the same time her spirit does, the mirror will transfer the soul back into the corresponding body," she replied.

Gene glanced down at Mai, who gave no indication whatsoever that she was listening to the conversation. "So what would happen with the spirit possessing the body?"

Clarisse frowned. "Well…the spirit doesn't belong here, so it would most likely just wander around the human dimension again."

Something about this statement bothered Gene. "Do you belong here?"

**"**No. I wander the human dimension as well, but I can travel back and forth between this dimension and the humans' at will."

"Then why am I the only one stranded here?" asked Gene, a plaintive note slipping into his voice. It wasn't fair.

Clarisse stared at him for a long moment, almost as if pondering whether it was a good idea to tell him. Finally, she sighed. "You're not the first person to be stranded here, but you are the first one in several decades. You do know why a spirit wanders the earth after its body dies, correct?"

"Unfinished business," Gene shrugged. "Their dogs need to be fed, or their relatives need to know where money is hidden, stuff like that."

Clarisse nodded. "Yes. Now, the afterlife is for people who have died with no regrets. The Earth is for those who have something left to do before they can move on. And this place…" she gestured at the darkness surrounding them, "Is for those who death came for before their time."

At this point, Mai raised her head in alarm. "Death? You're dead? What?" Gene grimaced, causing Clarisse to smile.

"If you didn't want her to know, you shouldn't have asked."

Mai scrambled to her feet, her gaze flicking between both spirits. "What didn't you want me to know?"

Gene was at a loss for words. "She's not - I-I mean-"

"Strange, isn't it?" mused Clarisse aloud. "Every spirit claims it wasn't their time to die, and they believe this with every fiber of their soul."

"Wait, don't-"

Gene's plea fell on deaf ears as Clarisse directed her next words at the girl between them.

"Your friend there, Mai? His name is Eugene Davis, and he is one of the few people in this world who actually died prematurely."

Mai's eyes widened as she soaked in her words, before turning to look at the person who she had thought of as Naru for the longest time. "Eugene Davis?" Her voice was a whisper as things began to click in her mind. "Davis…Oliver Davis…Are you…" She glanced out the clear opening into the room where the fake currently stayed, watching as Naru strode into it and stood by the bed, his blue eyes glittering with what seemed to be rage. The final piece fell into place at that moment.

"Naru is Oliver Davis…and you are…" She fixed Gene with an intent look.

"His dead twin brother," he finished bitterly.

**THEROSESAREWILTINGTHEVIOLETSAREDEADTHESUGARBOWLISEMPTYANDSOISYOURHEAD**

"_Who the hell are you_?" Oliver Davis' voice spat venom at the impostor on the bed, the person he was now certain was most definitely not Mai. To its credit, the spirit possessing her dropped the façade instantly, its eyes narrowing malevolently as it sat up on the bed . Naru was struck by how off the expression seemed on Mai's features.

"I'm merely borrowing her body for a while, nothing to be so incredibly rude about," it replied tartly. "There's some unresolved business I need to take care of." It made a move to stand up, but Naru stepped firmly in its way to impede any progress for the door.

The spirit hissed in annoyance. "Move."

"No."

"Move," its eyes flashed, "or I will move you."

Naru shook his head slowly, his eyes never leaving the fake. "Why her?"

"Get out of my way." It was getting angry now, so close to its objective, and yet this boy had the audacity to stand in its path.

"Did the necklace connect the two of you?" He knew he was getting to it and if the spirit lost control, its grasp on the body would lessen.

"_MOVE!"_ The force of the blast that the spirit suddenly hurled at him would have been enough to knock him into the wall, had Ayako and Bou-san not chosen that particular moment to cast a charm around Mai's body, protecting Naru.

"Stupid kid," berated the miko, shaking her head. "You still don't know how to ask for help!"

Naru turned to look at them in annoyance.

"You do realize I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself?"

"Come on, man. You, out of all people, should know that's a load of crap. Can't even make your own tea, seriously," jabbed Bou-san, eliciting a snort from his young boss.

"Where's John?" he asked, noting that the spirit seemed to be temporarily confused by the block of its attack.

"Right here," replied the blond priest as he stepped into the room, bible and holy water in hand. Naru was about to nod his consent when a feeling, an itch in the back of his mind, made him glance at the mirror on the wall. Two shapes were moving inside of it. He could make out his brother's dark hair and blue eyes, and standing beside him, chewing on her bottom lip as she did when she was nervous, was Mai.

He was so startled by this that he almost missed what the figure in front of him said.

"I am _very _sorry, but…" Naru doubled over as the impostor delivered a well-placed right hook to his stomach and attempted to break through Ayako and Takigawa's defenses. As much power as the spirit might've had, Mai's body was still tiny in comparison to Takigawa's tall form, something he took advantage of when he wrenched her arms behind her in his tight grip.

Last straw.

Takigawa, Ayako, and John all went flying, landing with a loud thud three yards away. Naru had recovered by this time and straightened up to find a raging spirit winding up to kick his ass twelve ways from Sunday.

"You…should not have…interfered…" it hissed as it prepared to unleash a blast even the Ghost Busters would have had some issues with.

And that's when he saw it.

In that split second that the faint red glow on her neck appeared, he knew what it was and what to do about it.

"Block the exit!" he yelled at Takigawa and Ayako, whose heads had finally stopped pounding, before lunging at the girl. The head-on assault caught it by surprise and its attack faltered, blasting through the French-styled double doors and taking out a portion of the balcony rail.

"What are you doing?" she shrieked, but too late, Naru's hands had closed around a small and invisible object resting at the base of her neck and yanked it hard. With the sound of a thin chain breaking, the object came loose in his hand and he saw that the ruby necklace was fully visible once more. Takigawa, somehow picking up on what had just happened, proceeded to once again take hold of Mai's body, half-hoping that he wouldn't be blown to smithereens this time.

_NOLL, THE MIRROR_! _Get her to the mirror! _Gene's voice resonated loudly in his head and Naru noticed that the ruby in his hand was glowing again.

Looking at the spirit, he remarked, "This is an amplifier, isn't it? This is why you had such an enormous amount of power. Though I will admit I'm rather surprised that it's able to protect itself so well. I can't use psychometry on it, what an odd curse." He drew closer to the impostor, who was shooting daggers at him with its eyes, and said, "This is the source of your power, isn't it?"

"What's it to you?" she snarled at him, trying to break out of Takigawa's grasp. "Now give it back!"

"Not a chance, this is actually very interesting…"

_YOU CAN PLAY MAD SCIENTIST LATER! SHE HAS TO TOUCH THE MIRROR, NOW!_

Naru cringed inwardly, cursing himself for becoming absorbed in something that should've taken a back seat to Mai's situation. But…he was still mildly curious…

"_Two minutes, all I'm asking," _he replied silently in his head, wondering if Gene would hear him.

A long silence resonated in his head, and he could sense his brother thinking it over. He didn't look back at the mirror, afraid to see Mai's expression.

_Two minutes. I hope you know what you're doing._

Naru nodded, and then another, softer, message hummed in his mind. The voice was immediately recognizable, and it didn't condemn him, but conveyed a longing that caused something inside him to clench painfully.

_Why, Naru? I just want to go home…_

"_I'm sorry, Mai. Wait just a little bit longer,"_ he replied silently.

**I'MACTUALLYWATCHINGDANCINGWITHTHESTARSRIGHTNOWASI'MTYPINGTHISCHAPTER**

To say Gene was displeased with Naru would have been a gross understatement. Oh no, he was _flea-bitten-dog-raging-thunderstorm-who-took-the-last-cookie_ _furious._

_Again_.

"What is he _thinking?!_ How can he even consider putting something this important off just to satisfy his misplaced curiousity?!" he seethed, his fist making solid contact with the window in a spur of anger. Clarisse didn't seem to be paying attention to them, but merely gazed out the window with mild interest. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Mai turn away from the opening, nibbling on her thumb nail.

"Maybe…maybe what he learns from the spirit could help in the future. Maybe it could help us solve cases faster," she stammered, and Gene knew she was attempting to rationalize his brother's actions in order to make it less painful on her, fueling his anger even more. Taking her by the shoulders, he whirled her around to face him, eyes smoldering with the intensity of several emotions combined.

"_He has no excuse, Mai,"_ he insisted, emphasizing each word. "You have been through enough without him doing this to you now."

She shrugged, resigning herself to what couldn't be changed. "He must have a good reason," she argued.

Naru looked stared at her for several moments before releasing his grip on her shoulders and turning away.

"He's not all-knowing, Mai. He's not always right. I hope you realize what will happen if anything goes wrong at this point."

She lowered her gaze at the floor.

"I know."

**NOWI'MWATCHINGTHEPRESIDENTIALDEBATESONTVANDITSTOTALLYBORING**

A/N: _**This is the longest chapter I've written as of yet. I guess you can tell I'm getting close to where I want to be with this story. Also, if you're wondering why I'm having so much fun picking on Naru in this fic, it's because I see him as House from **__**House, M.D.**__** Kinda grouchy, has some unorthodox methods, doesn't really tell his subordinates everything he's doing, and can be a real ass. He also tends to get carried away when presented with something he's never faced before that interests him. Haha, you can so tell I want to write a House fic (Coincidentally, I see Gene as Wilson, in case you were wondering. Which begs the question: Who would Mai represent?) Don't worry, Naru will get all straightened out soon. Right, about that celebration I was talking about…**_

_**I happen to like to draw. And I'm kind of good at it. So I'd like to draw Gene and Naru (and possibly Mai) in honor of their birthdays, on the 16**__**th**__**. Now, I'm willing to take suggestions on what you would like to see (maybe even draw more than one suggestion), so if anyone's got any ideas, feel free to toss them my way. Links to the finished pieces will be posted along with the next chapter (which will be uploaded, coincidentally, on the 16**__**th**__**). **_

_**So has anyone else noticed that I seem to be slipping back into my (attempted?) kind of humorous style? Sort of? I hate drama. I feel the need to make it less heavy and serious by dressing it up with witty remarks. Which also explains the dividers. …man, I really talked a lot this time around…**_


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Another six months, another new chapter. Man, my output rate really sucks. Had a hard time writing this chapter, partly because nothing particularly interesting happens, partly because it's really hard to reconcile what happens on Gene's side with what happens on Naru's side. Lot's of jumps happen, and it's hard to time things correctly, but whatever. At least there's more dividers!

**MYMOTHERISATRAVELAGENTFORGUILTTRIPSLALALALALALALALALALADIVIDER**

"Who are you, and how is this necklace connected to you?" asked Naru calmly, though the spirit was less than calm. Currently, it was thrashing wildly against Takigawa, attempting to break out of his grip and escape. That plan wasn't working out too well, so it decided to give it a rest for a moment and maybe buy itself some time by actually answering the questions this arrogant man had presented it.

"All right," it acknowledged in defeat. "My name is Clarisse. I don't remember my family name, it was too long ago. And that necklace belonged to me when I was alive."

_SHE'S LYING_, snarled Gene in his mind.

_"How do you know?" _ replied Naru silently.

_The real Clarisse is with us._

"_Then who is she?"_

_Why don't you ask her that?_ he shot back with resentment, still angry over his brother's decision to hold off on saving Mai.

Naru turned his attention back to the spirit inhabiting Mai's body, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Odd. My brother insists that you are not who you say you are. He says that the real Clarisse is currently with him in…on…the other side."

She shook her head furiously. "She's not Clarisse, _I _am! She's the one who - "she suddenly broke off with a gasp, and Takigawa loosened his grip instinctively. A spirit may be inhabiting it, but it was still Mai's body.

She could feel herself losing her grasp on the girl's body, and without the necklace, she didn't know if she would be able to hold on to it for much longer. She looked up at Naru, Mai's pleading eyes boring into his.

"I need that necklace. I need to find him, I need to find Charles. Please, I just want to find him…Please…" she pleaded softly. "I swear to you on mother's grave that I will return the body to the girl…just…please. Give me a little more time."

Naru felt his resolve waver a bit. It was difficult to tell, but she sounded sincere…However, it had been ingrained in him that spirits could not be trusted.

_That's enough, Naru! The souls have to be switched right now! Its hold on the body is loosening, and if it exits the body without Mai entering…_

_"All right,"_ Naru finally acquiesced. To Takigawa, he said, "Please take her to the mirror." Bou-san shot him a quizzical look, but did as he was told, gently pushing Mai's body towards the mirror on the far end of the wall.

"What…What are you doing?" she asked in alarm, twisting around to keep Naru in her sight, as he stepped up to her and took her right hand.

"Your time's up," he replied, and pressed her hand to the mirror.

**MYGOVERNORCANBEATUPYOURGOVERNORDUMDEDUMDUMDUMDIVIDER**

Behind the mirror, a long over-due discussion was happening. Mai had settled on asking questions as she waited, if only to take her mind off the stinging sensation she felt in her heart. And Gene figured that now that the secret was out, he might as well give her the entire story. Or as much as he felt was necessary to tell, anyways.  
"You and Naru are twin brothers? Oliver and Eugene?"

"Just Gene's fine. And yes. We were born in the United States, but were adopted by our parents as children. We moved to England soon after that."

"And…he's Oliver Davis. Why hasn't he told anyone that?"

"Knowing him, it's probably to avoid publicity."

"That does sound like him."

"Yeah."

An awkward silence followed as they both pondered the question that Mai wasn't sure she wanted to ask. She decided to avoid it for now.

"You're both…different. Do you have…um…paranormal abilities like he does?"

"I'm a perfect medium."

"What does that mean?"

He smiled, knowing that Mai generally needed anything concerning the paranormal explained to her, something that had annoyed his brother in the beginning.

"It means that I can channel spirits perfectly. I can speak the language they speak, German, Latin, whatever."

"That's pretty cool."  
"Mh-hmm."

"What abilities does Naru have?"

"You've seen at least one, probably more though they weren't very obvious or flashy. He possesses the power of psychometry, and can tell what has happened in a place by touching objects."

Mai suddenly recalled an instance at a school haunted by Will-o'-wisps. Naru had touched the desk of a student, and immediately known that the students had been playing with summoning spells. She had always found that a bit odd.

"Wow. That's pretty amazing." She paused again.

"How…did you die?" she asked softly, and Gene smiled sadly.

"It was an accident, I'm sure she didn't mean to. I had come to Japan, and I was hit by a car. I assume I must have died on impact, since I lost consciousness and woke up in this place."

She bit her lip. "I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "I think Naru's the one who's had it hardest. That's what I regret most, you know. Leaving him to fend for himself, the pampered brat," he smiled slightly. "But he has Lin, and Takigawa, Ayako, Masako, and…and you, now. He's started reverting to the old Noll I knew, and that's good. It means he's learning to be happy without me."

"I don't think he'll ever be completely happy. I lost my parents when I was young. My father when I was little, and my mother when I was in middle school. I've learned to keep moving forward, but a little of the pain still remains, and I think it always will. I imagine the same must hold true for Naru," Mai argued, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"That's a bit depressing. I hate to think that he'll never move on."

"It's how life works, I guess."

"Yeah."

They were abruptly snapped out of their conversation by Clarisse's voice.

"Well that can't be good."

Gene looked at her suspiciously. "_What_ can't be good?"

Clarisse glanced at him before focusing on the scene outside once more. "She's losing her hold on the body. I doubt she'll last longer than a couple of minutes. He really should bring her over before she leaves the body."

"Why?" asked Mai anxiously, her eyes wide.

"Because if she leaves the body without you entering it simultaneously…well…you're stuck here," she answered with a grimace.

Gene decided enough was enough, and that nothing was worth having Mai's death on their (his and Naru's, because it would be every bit his fault as much as Noll's if she couldn't return…) hands. He silently told his brother to quit playing around and get the body to the mirror before the situation was irreparable, and was relieved to see him comply. He looked at Clarisse.

"You're sure this will work?"

"Positive."

Mai was gazing out the mirror, watching as Naru all but dragged her body over to it.  
"I guess this is it," she said softly, turning to look at the man that had been her companion through some of the toughest situations she'd faced. His face was grim, and his blue eyes were clouded, torn. She felt the urge to ease whatever his concern was, much like he'd eased hers so many times before, but she didn't quite know what to say.

"Well…see you later, Gene."

Hearing her say his name for the first time is what did it.

As Mai went to place her hand on the opening between that world and the living world, Gene abruptly took hold of it. She looked at him, puzzled, and he hesitated for a moment, looking uncertain. Something about this felt odd, as if this might be his last chance to tell her everything. _Everything_. Would he slip back into slumber once all of this was over? Would he wake up? For the umpteenth time since he'd met her, Gene was tortured at the unfairness of it all.

"Gene…?" she looked at him uncertainly, her hand strangely warm in his. She could see him struggling with something, though what it was that was causing that torn look in his eyes, she couldn't figure out. And then he had let go of her hand and gently placed his own on either side of her face. Before he could hesitate and Mai could react, his lips brushed her forehead in a light kiss. Her breath seemed to vanish at that moment; she knew who he was now, she knew he wasn't Naru, but physically, they were identical and that fact played hell with her emotions.

That kiss, that innocent, chaste gesture was all Gene would allow himself to do. He knew she was lost to him, and now, using every ounce of love for Oliver that he held to motivate him, he released her.

"Watch your back," was all he said to her as he watched her compose herself, her lips tightening ever so slightly.

"Ah, wait," said Clarisse suddenly. "She has to be wearing the necklace for this to work."

Gene looked at her suspiciously.

"If you move fast, she won't have time to use its power," she clarified, knowing precisely what was going through his mind, and he nodded. He passed the message on to Naru, who voiced his skepticism but did as he was told.

Mai didn't turn to look at Clarisse, but looked out the window and watched as Naru placed the necklace around her neck and lifted her body's hand to place it on the mirror. As Mai raised her hand to meet her body's, she found a slim, white hand already there, blocking her own.

She turned to find Clarisse smiling, though it didn't extend to her eyes.

"My turn," she said as a flash of bright light clouded Mai's vision. When her eyes cleared, Clarisse was gone and the spirit that had possessed her body stood beside her. Mai watched in shock as her body broke out of Naru's gasp, and channeling the power of the ruby into a blast that sent all of her friends flying into the corners of the room. With one last glance into the mirror, and a smirk, Mai's body strode out through the door and into the hallway.

It wasn't until Gene began to speak with the spirit that had been pulled out of her body that they all realized that they had been tricked.

**THERE'SACHICKNEXTTOMEWATCHINGMETYPEANDITSKINDACREEPYYESIMEANYOUCHICKNEXTTOME**

A/N: _Ugh, I hated this chapter, can you tell? There's a particular chapter I'm looking forward to, so anything before that is just painful to write. Anyway, given how close we are to finishing, I'll try not to make you wait another six months for the next chapter. Later! _


End file.
